Casey Vs The Tryptophan
by Ellie Lynne
Summary: It's Thanksgiving Dinner at The Bartowski residence minus Devon . Who's the empty chair for?


Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or any of it's characters. If I did, I'd steal Casey in a heartbeat!

Spoilers: If there are any, they're from Season One because that's all I've seen so far.

A/N: This story is now beta-ed by me and re-posted. If there's still errors, I apologize. Enjoy and Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving! **Please Review!**

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**Casey Vs. The Tryptophan**

Ellie Bartowski glanced around the shelves stocked with various kinds of stuffing. It was overwhelming to see how many different flavors of Stove Top were made; everything from Chicken to Cornbread flavor. Unable to make up her mind, she grabbed one of each and decided to make her final decision when the time came to actually making it.

'Now, I have to make sure to make enough and there should be six of us.'

She glanced down at her list and began walking towards the next aisle with her basket hooked in the crook of her arm. 'Turkey: check. Stuffing: check. Pumpkin Pie: check. Green Bean Casserole: check. Deviled eggs: check. What am I forgetting?'

Without bothering to check to see if the path in front of her was clear, she gasped as she walked right into someone, sending a couple of cans to the floor. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!"

The only reply she got was a familiar grunt, which started out sounding deep and annoyed, but eased into light and amused. Reaching down, she picked up the fallen cans and brought them back up, only to come face to face with the man she'd hoped would come to eat dinner with them. She smiled at him sheepishly.

"John, I'm so glad that it's you!"

"Miss Bartowski," he nodded.

"It's Ellie, John, please," she glared playfully at him. "Fancy running into you here."

"Literally…and here I thought that collision was accidental," he chuckled lightly.

She giggled. "Oh, it was! But I'm glad it was you. Not that I'm glad that I ran into you…I mean, I _am _glad that I ran into you, just not literally…" she rambled, causing the handsome man to half-smile at her.

"I understand."

"Great. Well, sorry again for bumping you and ruining your," she paused, glancing at the cans, "cranberry sauce!" Her grin grew wider. "That's what I was forgetting! Thanks for the reminder."

He shrugged, not seeing how he did anything to be thanked for. The way he saw it, Ellie could run into him again, even literally, anytime and it would be just fine with him. "Last minute shopping?"

She nodded. "I had to work a double shift last night, so I didn't get any time to shop before now. I just hope they've got more cranberry sauce in the aisle before I get there."

"They were fairly stocked when I walked by there not five minutes ago. I think you'll find what you're looking for."

"Oh, great!" she said, starting to walk towards the end of the aisle before she remembered why she was glad that she ran into him. "Wait! Uh, John, would you like to join us for dinner?"

He hesitated. "I appreciate the offer, but my mother is sort of expecting me."

"Oh," she said, trying to desperately hide her disappointment, before brightening back up, "well, how about afterwards?"

He had no idea what to say. This woman was real good at getting what she wanted with those Bambi eyes of hers. "Oh, uh, I don't wanna spoil your dinner plans..."

"Oh, no, you wouldn't! I'd really love it if you could join us. Please?"

John's resolve was crumbling at the pleading look she gave him. _Darn her! Why can't she just leave me alone?_

"I could try to stop by later on…" he offered, watching as his words lit up a blinding smile to her face. As thrilled as he was to have put it there, he didn't want to disappoint her if something, more specifically a mission, came up and he was unable to make it.

"Great!" she said, practically jumping up and down.

"I can't make any guarantees, but I'll try."

She nodded, still just as excited as she was before, if not more. "Okay, well, we'll be eating around seven, but you can stop by anytime."

"Should I bring anything?"

"Like what?" she asked with confused innocence.

Casey grabbed a can from his own shopping basket and held it up with a questioning glance.

"Oh! No, I mean, I don't mind if you bring anything, but please don't feel obligated to. I've got enough food planned to feed an army."

He grinned at her military metaphor and nodded. "Well, Happy Thanksgiving, if I don't see you tonight."

"You too, John," she beamed, as she rounded the corner, in search of the rest of the items on her list. She was now determined to cook an extra pie, especially for John, to apologize again for nearly trampling him.

_Now, which filling should I use?

* * *

_

"Here we go," Ellie announced as she set down the last dish onto the table, and pushing a spoon down into the bowl of stuffing. A giant feast was laid out before them all and they all circled around the table; Ellie, Chuck, Sarah, Morgan and Anna. On the other side of Ellie sat an empty dining room chair.

The chair used to belong to her ex-fiancé, Devon, but things had turned south for the two of them and so they maturely decided that they were both better off being friends than anything more. Chuck frowned, staring at the empty place that symbolized the gaping hole that Devon left in her life. When no one dared to bring it up, Chuck waited until Ellie rose to retrieve some glasses and cornered her in the kitchen.

"Hey, Sis?" he asked softly, trying to carefully segue to the subject.

"Yeah?" she asked, humming to herself.

"Uh, is everything ready to go?"

"Just about, I've just got to get the wine glasses down…" she said, reaching for them from the cupboard.

"Good," he said, reaching for the glasses to hand to her. "And, uh, nothing's…missing or anything?"

Her body froze for a moment, tightening stiffly before her smile fell into a sad one and her shoulders slumped. "Well, I invited someone else, but he said he might not be able to make it."

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said, trying to cheer her up. There was no way he was going to let the memory of Devon ruin the wonderful treat that Ellie had cooked up for everyone. Even Anna was on her best behavior, after she learned that the attraction between Morgan and Ellie was completely one-sided and not from her. "You've made a meal that looks absolutely fantastic and we're all going to sit down and eat until we feel like throwing up, ok?"

Her smile twisted into a slightly amused grimace. "Okay, but without the regurgitation in my house. Would you take these into the other room?" she asked, handing him the glasses.

"Okey dokey," he grinned, leaving the room.

"So, Sarah, what are you and Chuck planning on doing after dinner?" Morgan asked with a hint of innuendo.

"Um," she stuttered, looking around for him, "I think we'd planned on taking a nice quiet stroll…along the beach."

"The beach, huh?" he asked, not really seeing the appeal. The greatest things he loved involved sitting in front of a television screen.

"Yeah, I've always loved the ocean. It's always nice and quiet there. It's a great place to sit back and let the sound of the waves melt away all your troubles."

"I agree," said Ellie, setting down the glasses on the table. "It's very relaxing, especially after a long day at work."

"Oh, the _beach!_" Morgan stressed as if he'd heard wrong the last time it was stated. "Oh, yeah! I mean, the beach is great, isn't it? What with the sand and the water and the bikinis…"

Anna glared at him warningly. "Morgan…"

He recoiled from her gaze. "Yeah, sorry, so Ellie, what's with the empty chair?"

Everyone froze, staring at him in disbelief and shock, trying to comprehend that he really did just ask about the proverbial elephant in the room.

"Uh…" Chuck starting, veering the conversation elsewhere.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, it's always nice to have the hope that someone could fill it, but it's been awhile, right? I mean, things ended, you're still friends, but you don't have to pine over him like a _sexy_ little lost kitten."

The whole room was so quiet you could hear, not a pin, but a _feather _drop. With all the dignity she could muster, she cleared her throat and held her head up high. "Although Devon and I are still friends, I knew he was going to his mother's house this year for Thanksgiving, so I didn't bother inviting him to eat with us tonight."

This stunned the group. Ellie was nothing if thoughtful, even towards those she had felt had wronged her or someone she loved in some way. While she confirmed the chair was not being saved for Devon, the mystery question loomed on everyone's mind until, yet again, Morgan pressed the issue.

"So, if it's not for the Cap'n, who's it for?"

The thought of the absent man created the large genuine smile that crept onto her face. "Not that it's any of your business, Morgan, but I invited John."

Sarah slowed her chewing to a complete stop and her gaze shot up from her plate to lock in with Chuck's.

Morgan's bushy eyebrows furrowed. "John? Who-who's John?"

"Does it matter?" Anna asked, giving him a fierce glance.

"Well, yeah, Anna-Banana, he could be some crazy psychotic stalker who pops up out of thin air, follows her everywhere she goes and learns every insignificant detail about her life!"

Anna snorted. "Sound familiar?

"He's not a stalker, Morgan, he's our neighbor," she explained.

Chuck choked on his mouthful of green bean casserole. "You mean John _Casey_?"

This caught everyone's attention and suddenly all eyes were on Ellie. "Yeah, I bumped into him at the store this morning," she laughed at the memory while stabbing a few beans onto her fork, "hard enough to knock a few cans from his hands, actually."

At the insistent silence, she looked around to find everyone still staring at her in awe, complete with mouths hanging wide open. "What?"

"John Casey; your neighbor?" Sarah asked slowly.

"Yeah."

"The guy who sells toasters in Home Appliances at the Buy More?" Anna asked.

Ellie nodded.

"John?" Morgan asked, still not believing it, "the dude who shoves people to the ground that he doesn't like and doesn't understand the meaning of friendliness? _That_ guy?"

She hesitated, taking in what he just said. "He's always been friendly to me," she shrugged. It was then that she noticed the looks passing between Sarah and Chuck and became worried. "What? Why, what's wrong?"

They froze, unsure what to say. What could they tell her? 'Stay away from Casey because he's a cold-blooded killer?'

"Uh, nothing," Chuck spoke up. "He's just…uh…"

She looked confused and more than a little worried. "Just what?"

Sarah looked at her with kind eyes. "He's sort of…"

"Married!" Chuck blurted out.

Ellie's heart clenched as she swallowed it down, feeling it drop into her stomach. Nothing could stop the look of devastation that was now tattooed on her face.

Sarah glared at Chuck. '_Married? That would only complicate Casey's cover story even more. Quick; think of something fast...'_

"To his job," Sarah amended, seeing the diminishing light of hope, start to return in Ellie's eyes. She groaned inwardly. There it was. It was the same exact feeling she had when Chuck was around. These new feelings that had developed were going to seriously make matters worse for the trio, but she couldn't see any way of avoiding it now.

Anna nodded. "He takes his job _very_ seriously."

"I don't think he was hugged enough as a child," Morgan states, sympathetically.

"I saw him run down a shoplifter on his first day of work!"

"Really? Wow! Well, I think that that is just…" she smiled, finally feeling indifferent enough to say it again, "awesome."

Chuck stared at her grinning back at him and let out one of his own. It had been so long since he'd seen his sister this carefree about anyone or anything since her and Devon split up.

"So, why's Mr. Personality not over here eating with us, anyway?" Morgan asked.

Ellie's smile faltered. "He had plans to go to his mother's for Thanksgiving and didn't know if he'd make it back in time."

Sarah sighed. Either he had governmental work to do, or he was at home clipping away at his stupid little bonsai tree. What on earth could persuade a healthy, full-blooded man to choose to stay home and prune a miniature tree when he could be eating a fantastic meal made by a beautiful, caring woman?

Temptation, she realized. It was the only answer that fit. His absence was his defense of self-preservation and willpower. She had to hand it to him; Ellie Bartowski was not a woman who took no for an answer very easily. There were a few times in her life that the word had tried to leave her tongue at an invitation by Ellie's request, but she just had this way of pleading that made her unbearable to say no to.

"I'd like to make a toast," Ellie announced, raising her glass. "I'm so thankful to have my brother, his girlfriend and our friends here today to share this day and this meal with each other. It's always great to have people you can count on when you need someone to talk to or just someone to listen. To friends!"

"To friends!" they chorused.

"To family!" Chuck said, raising his glass higher, while standing. "And to those that aren't with us physically, but still in our hearts."

Ellie beamed with pride. His amendment said a lot; to their mother who abandoned them, their father who ignored them, to Devon who gave up on them, and to Casey. Sure, he wasn't technically related, but he felt like the annoyingly stiff, older, and gruff, yet still protective, big brother Chuck never had.

"To family!" they echoed, clinking their glasses together.

* * *

A few hours later, they had all eaten, talked, and laughed with each other and felt the day was drawing near an end.

Ellie sat on the couch, letting her stomach settle. As her movie ended and the credits started rolling, she climbed off of the soft cushions and grabbed a few glasses from the table, walking them into the kitchen. She set them in the sink to soak when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she yelled, over the sound of the running sink.

The front door opened and shut quietly and light footsteps lead up to the kitchen. Shutting off the water, she heard a throat clearing and looked up. There was John Casey, leaning over the counter, holding a pumpkin pie.

"You made it," she said, surprised to see him.

"In more ways than one," he smirked with a half-smile. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Better late than never," she assured him, locking eyes with him.

He swallowed hard. "You had six people show up tonight?"

She shook her head. "Nope, just me, Chuck, Sarah, Morgan and Anna."

"You had an extra seat?"

"I kept it open in case you showed up," she freely admitted.

"Thank you," he said, truly touched that she thought that highly of him.

"No problem," she replied, opening the fridge and pulling out the whipped cream topping. "Help yourself; there are plenty of leftovers from earlier. We've got a ton of turkey left."

He approached her from behind and leaned in close when she stood up to close the fridge. He eased his lips to her ear, letting his breath caress her neck when he whispered seductive words to her. "If you don't mind, I'd much rather skip to dessert."

A shiver shot down her spine at his words. She turned around and noticed the twinkle in his eye when she opened the whipped cream and dipping her finger into it. He licked his lips, expecting to watch her lick it off of her finger, but watched as she held it up for him to suck it off. "Would you like some whipped cream, John?"

Ellie watched as his pupils dilated with desire and his mouth hung lowly open.

"Absolutely," he breathed, his breaths coming faster and shakier. Stepping closer, he leaned in and took a hold of her wrist, bringing her soft finger into his warm, moist mouth. He slowly ran his tongue along her skin to wipe off any remaining cream.

"Delicious," he leered at her like a hungry wolf.

Ellie nodded dumbly in agreement, reveling in the electric jolts of passion that were searing through her nerves. It seemed that now it was Casey's turn to be licked as she scooped some topping onto her wet finger and slid it across his lower lip. Reaching up, she glided her soft pink tongue over the bottom of his mouth and removed all traces of what had once covered it. The teasing was driving him insane, so when she went to brush her lips against his, he clamped onto her and kissed her back, with full force.

This was it. This is what she wanted. John Casey was what she wanted and she was determined to never let him go now that she had him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, he lifted her up, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. Step by step, they blindly backed into Ellie's room before he kicked the door shut and they fell, intertwined, onto the bed.

* * *

Later that night, Casey emerged from Ellie's room in his white t-shirt and his lucky four-leaf clover boxers. Quietly, he crept into the kitchen to raid the leftover food from that evening. Opening the fridge, he pulled out the covered tray and sat it on the counter. He grabbed a knife, ready to carve off a chunk of meat when he caught notice of something moving in the reflection of the knife he held. Whipping his head around, he was only slightly startled to find Chuck standing behind him. Wearing a gray shirt and a pair of charcoal sweatpants, he stood stiffly in front of his handler with a Louisville Slugger held above his head, ready to strike.

Chuck's jaw dropped when he realized who was stealing their food. "_Casey?_"

The baseball bat fell out of his stunned grasp and onto the floor somewhere behind him.

Casey smirked at the dumbfounded intersect and held out a piece of meat he just carved off of the bone and casually asked, "Want some turkey?"

Chuck seemed to find his voice again after the initial shock wore off. "What the heck do you think you're doing?"

"Getting a snack."

"It's three o'clock in the morning!"

Casey shrugged. "So it's a _late_ snack."

He let the bat down. "Why are you not at your own place? Better yet, why are you _here_?"

Letting his smirk get wider, he replied, "Ran out of Cool Whip."

Still stunned to see the man in his kitchen, he was about to tell Casey to take the whipped topping and leave, but he was surprisingly interrupted by a voice he didn't expect to hear at this hour.

_"Shouldn't you be in bed?"_

"I was, until I heard a pest in the kitchen," he glared at Casey.

"Oh! Chuck, I-I didn't know you were up," stammered Ellie, embarrassed that she hadn't realized that her brother was even there. She smiled at Casey as he handed her a carved piece of turkey and turned to talk to her brother.

"You didn't know I was…then, how did…who were you…"

"How about a big boy sentence there, Slugger," Casey taunted him.

"Wait a minute," he turned to Ellie, "you haven't even asked what _he's _doing here, which means you knew he was here! Why are you not shocked that Casey's standing in our kitchen in nothing but his underwear?"

"Would you rather I took them off?" he asked, winking at Ellie.

"No! What, no!" Chuck shouted.

His attention shifted from Casey to his sister who was blushing with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Wait! What is going on here?" he demanded.

"John came by and helped me cleanup after dinner," Ellie explained.

"Fine. Okay. Cleanup after dinner…like washing dishes. Good! So, uh, how do you go from cleaning plates to snacking on turkey in your underwear at three in the morning?"

Replacing the tray of food to the fridge, Casey shrugged nonchalantly. "We took a nap and I got hungry."

Chuck stares at him in disbelief. "A nap?"

"Of sorts."

"We? As in, you and my sister?"

"Affirmative."

"And you "took a nap" _together_?"

"Yep."

"Do I need to give you the "I'll kill you if you hurt her" spiel?"

"Nope."

"And, do you plan on doing this "nap" thing often?"

"Uh huh," Casey replied, wrapping an arm around Ellie's waist and leading her down the hallway towards her room. "As a matter of fact, I'm suddenly feeling _absolutely exhausted_." Ellie melted into the lustful gaze he was giving her and grinned salaciously.

"_Up_ for a _nap_?" she giggled at her intentional double meaning.

Casey gave a predatory growl. "Always."

"I can't believe this!" Chuck's face scrunched in shock and disgust. "You know, this is all your fault!"

"Hey! Don't blame me," Casey grinned madly, while they backed into her bedroom. Bending down, he kissed her passionately before coming up for air. Before he swiftly swung the door shut, he smirked at Chuck over Ellie's shoulder, "blame the Tryptophan."

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**PLEASE REVIEW! It's my Thanksgiving's Day wish! :)**


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